Without Reasons
by SereneC
Summary: Sakura needed some change, even if it meant getting caught by the Akatsuki in Sunagakure during a mission. Her reasons begin to falter as she is changed by three different people with three different personalities. SakuDeiItaSaso. Slightly OOC
1. Inevitable

**Note:** Hey guys! This is my first story so don't be too harsh on the critisms. LoL I mean I would really love some good constructive critisms though. Anyway before I continue I want to inform everyone that English isn't my first language… so bear with me if there's some grammatical or sentence structure mistakes. Hehe everyone makes mistakes righttt? Who am I kidding ' anyway onto the story!!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto… (but I'd really love too XD )

**Chapter One: Inevitable**

She kept wondering why she was personally chosen by the Hokage to complete a mission. Two reasons immediately came to thought: one she was a trained medic-ninja and two; she was a capable fighter who knew how to handle well a dire situation, if it were to occur. Not that she was complaining, but the kunoichi did not want to travel three days by herself to Sunagakure let alone be assigned to a misison.

After nearly three years of no missions, the pink-haired girl believed it was inevitable she had to fulfill her duty as a proud ninja of Konoha someday. That day had finally come and she did not want to be alone for a single second. Too many events had already taken place early in her life. She lost the boy she loved to power greed and had to say good bye to a close friend who desperately trained in order to bring back his best friend, her love.

Since then she too had underwent serious training because she felt weak and useless. She no longer felt inferior in power to anyone anymore. However the girl still had traces of sadness, mainly regret for not having to stop her love being consumed by darkness. She sighed out loud, mainly comforting herself as she treaded on a path she knew very well.

'It's getting late', she thought as she stared intently at the nearly black inked sky. The moon shone brightly through the dark patches of clouds. She saw diamond-like specks, each seemed as if they were placed specifically to create a beautiful night. She smiled softly, reminding herself she needed to rest before leaving early for the mission. As she headed towards her home, she thought about the situation that had occurred nearly an hour ago.

_::Flashback::_

Sakura let herself through the wide doors leading to the Hokage's office. She was not the least bit surprised to see stacks of unfinished work, scattered on the wide wooden desk. Her attention slowly drifted on the back of her Shishou's seemingly sleeping head.

'Damn… Did I come at a wrong time…? Maybe I should check back in awhile instead'. She carefully maneuvered herself as she before walking out of the room.

"Wait Sakura, I was doing some paper work", Tsunade groggily said before quickly wiped away the slight drool formed near her mouth with her hand sleeve.

Sakura gave a sarcastic look but held in a comment, knowing it might offend tired Hokage. "Tsunade-shishou, a Jounin informed me that you requested for me".

"Yes, yes", the older woman placed her elbows on the table as the tips of her fingers touched her lips in a contemplative gesture. "I need you to complete a mission, seeing that you are the only capable ninja present at the moment… the original message sent by Sunagakure requested for me to go however as Hokage, I cannot leave a village unsupervised". Sakura could hear the seriousness in the tone her Shishou was using. "I cannot take a risk knowing Akatsuki or even Orochmaru might decide to suddenly attack the Konoha".

Chills went down Sakura's spine when she heard Akatsuki and Orochimaru mentioned. Her eyes began to glaze as she thought about the only boy she ever loved, leaving Konoha in order to gain power. She wished she was there, helping him in some ways. The pink-haired girl knew Sasuke Uchiha left in order to avenge the untimely deaths of his entire Clan. He was the sole survivor after his older brother unmercifully exterminated all those people. She involuntarily shuddered as she thought about how could someone could be so heartless to kill their own mother. She tried not to imagine what was going through in the poor woman's mind, seconds before her body hit the cold floor.

She could not help but feel the pain he was suffering as he trained somewhere with that vile excuse for a man. Sakura was not sure if Orochimaru was even a human to begin with. In her opinion, he was just some experiment gone completely haywire or maybe his mother decided to have a bit of fun with a snake. Either way, Orochimaru was the result and now it was one of her goals to retrieve Sasuke from him.

"I never liked that old hag, even to this day. I felt as if she tried to poison me every chance she had. Oh I bet it's her death wish to see me suffer. Sakura, are you even listening?" Sakura drifted from her thoughts and soon regretted not listening for she was faced with an irritated Sannin.

"I'm so sorry Tsunade-shishou… I guess I was distracted by something else…"

"Anyways", the Hokage paused for a moment and then continued. "I want you to travel to Sunagakure and heal this elderly woman from poisoning. It seems as if she was injured in an open-fire involving a group of people, who remain unknown. But I have a terrible feeling that Akatsuki might be involved in this.

"Though she is a poison specialist, it seems like she herself, does not know the cure for her ailment. None of the Suna- villagers know any remedies to stop the poison before it circulates throughout her entire body. As you might see for yourself eventually, she does not have much time. Treatment must be administered as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Sakura tried her hardest to swallow the sudden information she was given. She pondered about the mission and a frown formed on her delicate pale complexion. The Hokage quickly noticed the slight change in the younger girl's face.

"Couldn't Shizune-san be able to handle this mission?" Sakura asked, knowing her Shishou's first apprentice's speciality was poison.

"Shizune is actually on a mission in Iwagakure and will not be returning any time soon."

"But Tsunade-shishou! Maybe it's a bad idea… I mean I haven't fully mastered the lessons on poison and antidotes derived from plants…". Sakura knew she should not look nor sound entirely weak in front of the Hokage herself.

Tsunade got up from where she sat and approached the kunoichi. "Sakura…", the blonde-haired Hokage spoke softly. "I know this is your first mission since I took you under my wings and trained you as a medic-ninja… But now it's time to show the world what my apprentice can do. Believe in yourself and besides, it was me that trained you", Tsunade beamed at her apprentice and patted her head fondly. "I want you to go there and kick some ninja asses!", she exclaimed as she through her fist in an un-Hokage-like fashion.

Sakura could not help but giggle at her Shishou's enthusiasm. 'Tsunade-shishou is right… I should not be scared… Plus if Akatsuki is involved, I might be able to gather some information on Sasuke's whereabouts'. Sakura kept this information to herself, knowing well the Hokage would not like her snooping around.

"Sakura, I want to add one more piece of information before I let you go."

The pink-haired kunoichi looked intently at her Shishou and waited for her to finish what she had to inform. "Although the old hag tried to kill me on numerous occasions, she did help my four-man team on a mission in the Water Country. Both of our enemies at the time were the ninjas from the Hidden Mist Village. Our team was injured and I alone could not heal three people at the same time...", Tsunade's lips curved into a small smile. "Chiyo helped my comrades and therefore I am indebted to her."

"Don't worry Tsunade-shishou", she was determined to help repay her Shishou's debt. "I promise I won't let you down."

"Thank you Sakura, now I want you to understand this is no regular mission Gennins or Chunnins are permitted to do. It's an A-ranked one and you will be on your own. So it's best you stay undercover, especially when you are traveling en route Sunagakure."

Tsunade went back to the mess she considered as her working sanctuary. "Now go get some rest girl, you'll need every ounce of energy if you are going to get up and leave before sunrise".

Sakura grinned with her eyes close and walked towards the doors to leave this time. "Goodnight Tsunade-shishou, and don't worry… I won't tell anyone you were dosing off instead of working on this files", she giggled at the Hokage's comical look.

"SAKURA! Not one word will get out about this or else you will pay the consequence in the form of extra practice lesson". Sakura gulped and tried to slide out of the door leaving the Hokage to massage her own stressed head.

'Tsunade-shishou can be so evil at times… God I wish I had taken a picture of her drooling…", Sakura tried to suppress the sudden urge to laugh. 'It would have been priclss and I could have blackmailed her too!'

_::End of Flashback::_

Sakura smiled to no one in particular. She was in her own world again and she knew if anyone saw her out this late, with a weird smile plastered on her face, they would think she was recently released from the Mental Institution. 'Boy… I really should stop giggling or smiling out of nowhere… Maybe I'm just a bit tired'.

The pink-haired girl finally reached the front of the entrance to her home. 'I wonder what surprises are waiting for me tomorrow', she grinned with her eyes closed. 'Ugh if I don't stop these smiling urges, people are going to think I'm some kind of closet pervert'. That thought quickly wiped the smile off of her face. "Damn I need some shut eye" she groaned before closing the door to her house.

**Note:** Wow… I hope that wasn't too short… I know this storyline is overly done but I hope I can create a different twist to the plot…I have some ideas for the next few chapters LoL I hope everyone liked it so far :D I'll write the next chapter in time…

I'm hoping I can get a beta-reader and if anyone is interested, you can leave me a message or just email me.

**P.S.** Don't forget to review!!!


	2. Hidden in the Sands

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter Two: Hidden in the Sands**

:: Somewhere in Sunagakure::

Shadows were seen approaching the hidden cave situated near the outskirts of the Akai Desert during nightfall. It was considered a very well-known desert in all of Wind Country due to its overwhelming size and unbearable temperatures. Rumours say the name was derived from an ancient war where all the spilt blood was soaked by the sands.

Though it was close to the Sand Village, villagers knew better than to venture out, especially when the sun was blazing hot. Night was an exception however due the large numbers of disappearances lately, no one dared to leave the safety of their homes. The newly appointed Kazekage had taken extra precautions by sending out messages to nearby bordering countries, explicitly warning they should not travel through the Akai Desert. This warning was to last until the Suna ninjas are able to identify what caused the desert to become increasingly dangerous.

As soon as Kazekage's urgent message had been issued, Outsiders began taking a different route as to avoid crossing the desert. Thus the great Akai Desert remained undisturbed for quite some time. It created a great advantage for those who wanted their business affairs to remain silent for the time being.

Dark cloaks rustled quietly on the sands as two figures exchanged words discreetly. Though the moonlight reflected against the desert dunes, their bodies blended well with the surroundings, making them appear obscured. Up close one could see large straw hats embedded with white paper-like cloth which masked their faces. At times under the moonlight, the patterns stitched on the dark cloaks were slightly visible to the eye. The stitched designs resembled little crimson clouds. The two figures appeared even more menacing because their faces were hidden further under their high-collared garments.

"I still can't understand why we have to wait three or even four days before we get to attack Sunagakure. Can't we destroy the village with a big explosion now hmm..?," muttered the slightly taller of the two mysterious figures.

"It makes perfect sense as to why we have to wait. So why don't you stop asking me these ridiculous questions," answered back his slightly agitated partner.

"But I wanna' make art into a big bang!…hmm."

The shorter figure glared coldly at his accomplice as he continued to throw a tantrum. "Sasori no Danna, it's not fair at all! I never got the chance to show everyone my new jutsu! Why can't we kill your grandmamma now? What's the fun in waiting?"

"Shut up and be patient. In order to get the old hag to talk, she would need to be exposed a bit longer to the special poison I concocted solely for this mission. She will be delusional as her body will deteriorate. However, she will eventually succumb to the pain and tell us how to properly remove the Jinchuriki from the host's body without any difficulty. After all it was my sweet grandmother who…". The creature-like figure paused and noticed he was talking to himself the entire time. His partner seemed rather more amused in his newly sculptured owl figurine from the white clay he kept in a pouch. The man brought two of his fingers close to his lip and muttered incomprehensible words as he released his sculpture. A loud explosion resonated through the entire span of the desert as the owl burst into hot flames. He laughed jubilantly and attempted to make another one. The sculpture's partner massaged his temples and wondered if the villagers heard the aggravating noises his partner was creating.

'_I should have figured out by now his attention span is that of a housefly. Maybe I should have asked the leader for a sole mission.'_ The protuberant creature carefully thought to himself or so he believed. Albeit the sole mission would be dangerous, it would at least provide a sense of psychological security. He felt loss for words as he found himself frequently mumbling to no one in particular. It angered him knowing that whenever they traveled as a pair, people would only give him odd looks and question his sanity. He actually missed the days where his old partner would rarely exchanged words with him.

"Danna… sometimes you scare me when you start talkin' to yourself like that hmm… I think you need lots of rest now and tomorrow we can start searching for new leads on the other Jinchurikis hmm… Seriously you need your beauty rest… I can see fine lines forming around your eyes", the taller man pointed with a nauseating sweetness in his voice.

The dark-cloaked figure felt incredibly offended by his younger partner. Anger flowed through his blood vessels and transformed into visible chakra. He quickly withdrew his hands from inside the cloak and struck the other man's head, hard. The straw hat flew off from impact and revealed thick blonde hair tied in a ponytail. The newly sculptured owl fell out of his partner's palms and exploded in the collision. Sand blew in all directions, creating an awfully large crater where the two figures stood.

Eminently confused, the hat-less man held his head in pain and was about to question as to why his Danna would ever raise his hand. But before he could ask, he was interrupted by his clearly irritated partner.

"Boy you better know your place. Don't you ever dare to use smart-ass remarks in front of me. Next time I won't be so forgiving and you would be left with more than a headache", he snarled as he grabbed the blonde's collar.

The man held out his hands in defense as he was pulled closer and brought down to an eye level with his partner. Glowing blue eyes met harsh amber eyes. The younger partner by age, swallowed air nervously when he felt the amber eyes pierce through his own.

The taller figure tried his hardest to reason with his Danna. "Sasori no Danna, you've got it all wrong…hmm! You see, I meant it as a jo-". The blonde haired man's excuse was cut short when both figures heard sounds of soft yet urgent footsteps heading towards them. Their eyes met small pale green orbs and time had momentarily paused.

**Author's Note**

**Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews:D Some of you guys mentioned how there should be a cliffhanger so what do you think about this one? LoL Tell me who you guys think it could be this mysterious character with green eyes XD The hints should be somewhere in the chapter… or could it be a person I introduced last time? Keep on reviewing and guess who it could be in your reviews!**

**I'll upload the next chapter as soon as possible. **

_**P.S. Don't forget to Review :)**_


	3. Tortured Innocence

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything in Naruto besides my characters.

**Chapter Three: Tortured Innocence**

The light footsteps were closing in on the two Akatsuki members. Green eyes collided head on with Deidara before either of them could blink their own. The young man almost fell back but managed to regain balanced by digging his feet into the cool sands. Whatever ran into him grasped his cloak and held on tightly.

Shocked, Sasori loosened his inhumane grip on his partner's collar and took a couple of steps back. He stared intently at what appeared to be a sobbing small figure. The wooden-like creature could not determine its gender because of the thick white clothe wrapped messily around its head. The headdress reminded him of how those mere villagers from Sunagakure wore it to protect their heads from the sun. He could not even tell the green-eyes' gender by the soft muffles he heard.

"Please Jou-san… help me… I'm lost…", the girl cried as she looked up into Deidara's seemingly glowing blue eyes. "I'm a man hmm..." he corrected her. His deep voice startled her. The girl's head clothe fell off revealing chestnut brown hair as she cranked up to get a good look at him again. "I'm sorry… but you look like a pretty girl Ossan", she choked on her tears as she tried to smile.

Sasori was at loss for words. The entire time he believed it was an possible threat but it turned out to be some brat from his village. He reminded himself it was now his ex-village because of his current status as a missing-nin. He quietly laughed when he saw the new expression splashed across his artistic partner's face. He looked as though he was ready to rip off the girl's head for her innocent remark. Deidara ran his fingers through his thick blonde locks and tried think of a quick and needed solution.

The girl continued to sob as her tears soaked into the dark Akatsuki garment. His frustration converted to confusion as he searched for a way to stop the brat from ruining his newly washed cloak. 'Ugh after all I went through to get the blood off, now there's definitely gonna' be some pretty ugly stains after she's done using my cloak for tissues hmm'.

He then bent down on his knees and gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders, almost in a brotherly way. The young girl released her tight grip from the black garments as she stared into the pretty man's eyes once more.

"What's the matter little one? Shouldn't you be at home with your parents? What are you doing wondering the desert by yourself at this hour hmm?", he asked her softly yet his cold eyes told otherwise. The girl gingerly wiped her tears with the white scarf wrapped across her chest and she smiled timidly. The entire time she did not notice the evil glint in the blonde man's eyes.

"My mommy and me went shopping for my birthday clothes", the girl smiled fondly at the memory. "And then I was looking at this pretty necklace and I wanted to show mommy but she was gone." Fresh tears formed in her now reddened eyes but nonetheless she continued. "I got scared Ossan, my mommy wasn't in the store and then I asked the store man where she was and he said she wasn't there! So I walked back home but I got lost cause' I dunno how to get back home and now… I'm here…" The young girl had a bit of hope in her eyes. "Ossan… can you help me find my mommy…? Pretty please?"

Deidara could clearly see the desperation in the girl's eyes. He knew Sasori no Danna would disapprove if he were to help the child find her way back home. It would create a great stir and eventually help the villagers resolve as to why many people have disappeared lately: the two Akatsuki members would ultimately be held responsible. He decided to play along with the girl, give her some hope of finding her mommy but in the end, he would crush it and enjoy watching the tortured expression on her face. After all, he was a wanted criminal and should indeed have no sympathy when ending a life. Whether it be a man, a woman or child. To him, everyone was the same, regardless of their gender or age.

"Sure I'll help you find your mommy", Deidara grinned as he reassured the girl. "But you haven't told me your name yet little one hmm…" The girl's eyes widened at her 'savior' and smiled sweetly. "My name is Tokiku, Ossan".

"Such a pretty name for a cute little girl", The blonde Akatsuki rubbed her hair affectionately. "Can I call you Toki-Chan then hmm?"

Tokiku nodded vigorously. "What's your name Ossan?" she asked him shyly.

"It's Deidara. You know, I'm not that old enough to be called Ossan yet hmm" Tokiku giggled again and cupped his face in her hands. "Yeah, you're too pretty to be called Ossan, Dei-Nichan". Deidara gently removed her small hands from his face and shifted her entire body in Sasori's direction. "Toki-Chan, if you really wanna' see your mommy. You gotta' ask Sasori no Danna for permission first hmm".

Fear plastered quickly across the young girl's green eyes. Her mind could not administer fast enough of what she saw in front of her. She began to shake involuntarily as the monster's eyes burned through her own. Sasori saw how fear immediately took over her entire small body once their eyes met. He smirked as he realized she was no older than seven. He knew that in her eyes, he was a large hump-backed creature with glowing amber eyes and wore the same black cloak her 'Dei-Nichan' was wearing, to cover his wooden skin. He growled intentionally and saw how she was desperately trying to face away from him. However, his partner prevented the girl from hiding behind him. The puppeteer believed his partner had a twisted obsession of seeing blood being spilt on the ground. 'Hmm… no wonder he has that peculiar glint in his eyes the entire time the girl was here… I see what he wants to happen… Maybe I can show a bit of a demonstration.'

"Come here little girl", the puppeteer growled and when he saw her shake her head nervously, his tail uncurled from his back. He swung it lazily and then before the young girl could blink, it thrusted outwards and aimed at the girl's throat. He made sure he did not aim with the poisoned soaked side.

Blood seeped onto her white scarf from the newly received gash across her throat. She almost fell backwards but was roughly pushed to stand against her own will. Confused and still bleeding, the girl turned her back on the hideous monster to face her Dei-Nichan. She gurgled but words could not form from her vocal cords. They had been severed to an extent where she would not be able to speak anymore. Deidara saw the confused gaze on her tired eyes and in return, he smiled pleasantly.

"Toki-Chan… you shoulda' stayed in your village hmm". He caressed her soft chestnut hair, while making sure none of her hair tuft got into the small mouth on the palm of his hand. Tokiku felt something grazing above her head but the sensation quickly faded as she felt herself slowly drifting from reality.

When the young Suna girl dropped onto her knees, Sasori hulled her roughly and threw her over his wooden shoulders. Deidara was surprised at his partner's action and decided to confront him. "Sasori no Danna, wouldn't it be a better idea for us to leave her body out here in the desert hmm?"

"I am well aware of what the normal procedures are, Deidara. But I happen to be missing a human puppet between the ages of six and eight. I think this little brat would fit in perfectly with my beautiful collection", he answered back nonchalantly. Sasori walked towards the entrance of the hideout and his shadows disappeared, along with the unmoving body of the child on his back.

The other artist still remaining outside and sighed at the new circumstances. He was glad he was not the one who had to knock the girl unconscious. She resembled too much like a certain person from his past. Maybe it was the spark in her green orbs when Toki-Chan smiled at him. Or maybe he was thinking too much. 'Sasori no Danna is probably just using an excuse to keep the girl to satisfy his undeniable desire for little girls.' Deidara chuckled to himself, it was hard to imagine the stoic but cold puppeteer being a pedophile. He looked one last time at the starry sky and headed towards the entrance of the cave.

_::In Konohagakure::_

The sun's rays shone through the blinds, highlighting the bedroom to appear powdery lilac. Sakura groaned from under her covers and wished she had closed those infernal blinds properly. The light accented her pale face, creating a soft glow. Her eyes fluttered as they tried to adjust to the morning light. She still felt heavily exhausted, yet nonetheless tried to rub the tiredness out of her eyes.

Suddenly it dawned her; she was suppose to be ready and out on a mission before the sun broke. The Hokage advised it would be best to travel when the sun was not present in the sky. Darkness would conceal her and she would have been able to travel safely without any difficulty.

Sakura quickly bolted in a sitting position and tried to think of a reasonable excuse as to why she had completely forgotten to wake up before dawn. She scanned her room quickly and noticed her alarm clock was not set to go off. _'Damn… so it's my fault entirely for not setting the alarm last night. Tsunade-shishou is going to have a fit if she hears about this.' _Incomprehensible words were mumbled through the young kunoichi's mouth. Something along the lines of not having to mention about this incident at all to the Hokage.

She lazily hung her legs over the bed and attempted to get up. The pink-haired ninja then slowly made her way to the bathroom but did not realize she was heading towards a wall. Sakura was entirely absorbed in her thoughts, she hardly had any time to change directions. Before she knew it, her body collided head on with the wall and soon she found herself on the cool floor, in an unlady-like fashion. Clumsily she got off the floor cursing and her suppressed anger finally discovered a hole to leak out of.

As the young kunoichi closed the bathroom door, she was still visible through a freshly made hole in the wall. Sakura knew the repairing costs were going to be coming out of her pocket. Her parents had informed her on numerous occasion that they will no longer be held responsible for her uncontrollable violence towards inanimate objects. She needed to ventilate her anger although, punching a clean hole into the wall was not an appreciated nor appropriate method of therapy.

Once inside the brightly-lit bathroom, her anger was subsided by the cool running water from the shower head. She was angry for quite a number of reasons, one being that she was already late for her first mission in a while. The other being the reoccurring dream she kept having. She tried not to think about it too much. Though she was flustered with the idea of having that certain dream, it led to endless frustration due to not knowing who exactly was the other person she constantly envisioned. Sakura disregarded this issue and preceded to step out of the shower to dry her light-colored pink locks.

When Sakura finally came out of the bathroom, she only had a towel wrapped around her small frame and the clothes she had slept with in one arm. Water droplets formed at the end of her hair and dropped softly yet in a uniform motion onto the wooden floor. Tossing the clothes on the unfolded bed, she moved towards the large window near the back of her bedroom.

Her damp hair glistened, illuminating her distinct aqua-green orbs. With ease, she opened the blinds and stared at the clouds hovering over a jagged cliff. The pink-haired ninja's house was situated in an area where she was close enough to recognize clearly the facial shapes engraved on the cliff. The five Hokages' faces stood high and mighty, reminding the villagers of their great contributions into building what was now known as Konohagakure.

Sakura thought she noticed something unusual above the Godaime's rocky upper lip. She squinted her eyes to make sure she was seeing correctly and almost snorted out loud. A thick black line protruded from above the lips, made its way to either sides of the cheeks and curved in a comical way. A black goatee was drawn rather messily near the bottom of the chin, completing the intended masculine look. _'Whoever did this must have an early grave stone with their names engraved', she snickered. 'Seems like something Naru-'_

Her thought was cut short before she could enjoy the pleasant surprise. The unexpected shock had not registered fully in her mind and she could not believe what her eyes were seeing. All Sakura could do was open and close her mouth in a repeatedly fluid motion.

**_Note: _Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews so far :) I'm sure most of you believed it was Sakura that was going to confront the Akatsuki members. LoL but I mentioned it somewhere in the first chapter about how it will take three days for her to reach Sunagakure anyway. Plus I did mention something about people from the Sand Village turning up missing. **

**I hope this chapter clears up any confusion from the first and second chapter. What do you guys think about the new cliff-hanger? Hmm… who could it possibly be?? LoL don't forget to tell me who you guys believe it's going to be in your _REVIEWS! _LoL anything is possible right?**

**P.S. If there's anything wrong with the first part of this chapter, it's probably because I used word pad… I hate it because it doesn't have any spell-check. **

**P.P.S. Don't forget to review! I wanna' know what you guys think about Deidara and Sasori's characters as well. I do accept criticisms very openly… I learn from them LoL And remember!! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update! I guess it inspires me XD **

**  
I would like to add that even though I don't draw much… (mainly cause' I suck) I've attempted to draw how would Tokiku would look like. If you wanna' see the picture, just tell me :D (But don't laugh cause' it's not the best picture though !!)**


	4. Colliding with the Past

**Oh my god… I am so sorry for the semi-long hiatus. It wasn't that I ran out of ideas… more like I didn't know how to write it down confuzzled Anyway I was so busy with my final CEGEP exams that I lost track of time and now July is almost over! Yeah I know I had two months to write something… so forgive me :D I promise I'll write the next chapter out as soon as possible and have it uploaded by the beginning of next week.**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Naruto besides my character.

"SAKURAAAAA-CHAAAAANNNN"

Sakura's eyes nearly popped from her sockets from the unexpected shock as she continued to have a hard time forming words. The blonde ninja fully clad in orange and black then made a daring move from a nearby treetop towards her wide opened window after his loud outburst. The kunoichi was not sure whether she should grasp tightly onto the towel which was beginning to slip off her body or to protect her poor ears from the deafening sound. As the other ninja approached closer, her mind came up with an alternative plan. Her slender arm instinctively recoiled and then began to soar into the air. Sakura's fist connected hard with the blonde ninja's face and sent him flying hundreds of meters towards the jagged cliff.

His body painfully made contact with the Godaime's engraved face. He managed to wipe off some of the black graffiti as his body slid downwards. There were only dark smudges left near the Hokage's chin and Sakura promised herself that she would make sure the prankster would clean it _all_.

She squinted and when her eyes met a thin scar running across the left cheek of the figure dedicated to the fifth Hokage, she winced involuntarily. She knew she should not have used her superhuman strength to knock some sense into the other ninja. She also knew she would have to face the consequences for her irrational behaviour. But then again, Sakura hoped her shishou would understand her apprentice's reasons for lashing out violently. Both master and apprentice never had much tolerant when it came to voyeurism or perverts in general.

Sakura pulled the curtains and changed rather quickly before the blonde ninja had a chance to get up on his two feet. She then combed through her wet hair with her fingers and gingerly secured the Konoha head protector. Satisfied with her looks, Sakura glanced at her alarm clock on top of her nightstand and realised she had to make up for lost time. She cursed silently while picking up her travel backpack and slinging it over her shoulders. It was not too heavy since she only packed what was necessary for a three day trip, keeping in mind that she could refill once she reaches Sunagakure. The kunoichi slipped through her front door and locked it before heading out of the complex.

Living alone had a lot of advantages and one of them was the flexibilities of her schedule. Sakura could return home however late she wanted to without having her parents berating her tardiness. Another advantage was residing in a close proximity of the hospital and the Hokage's office. This allowed her to be able to get to either places without any delay if an emergency should arise. At first her parents had objected her moving proposal, claiming she was too young to live on her own. However with Sakura's pleading and a bit of the Godaime's assurance for the young girl's safety, her parents finally gave in. It had been a year since she moved out on her own and the kunoichi felt she had become more independent in doing so. Though her parents did visit her often, she managed to put up with their constant fussing.

Biting her lips, Sakura remembered she forgot to inform her parents about her current mission. Being the only child of two overprotective parents, she always told them the details of her mission prior leaving. She promised herself she would write a letter to them as soon as she reached the sand village.

Stepping out into the sun, she noticed Naruto had finally gotten up after being slammed into the cliff and was now running towards her. He stopped right in front of the pink-haired kunoichi and panted with his hands clutched over his knees, his head bent as well.

"Sakura-chan! Wow it's been a while", Naruto grinned cheekily after catching his breath.

"Naruto-kun, it's so good to see you again", she replied with the same enthusiasm. "But what was the deal with you trying to jump through my window?"

"Ehh… well I wasn't doin' anything perverted", Naruto said rather sheepishly. He saw the stern look on Sakura face and his smile disappeared. "Honest Sakura-chan! I would never do that. Jeez only pervs' like Ero-sennin would do something like that. I was just so happy to see you."

Sakura smiled at her friend's honesty and saw that he really hadn't changed much personality wise. However he did grow a couple of inches, surpassing her in height. His voice had deepened as well. She stretched out her hands to give him a welcoming hug yet stopped when she noticed something off about him. Crinkling her nose, she stared at the unpleasant brown stains which now hung on his black and orange suit.

"Naruto… what is that all over you?" Sakura pointed out as if it were obvious.

"Oh… yeah I landed into something after you threw that sucker punch. Thanks to that, I wasn't badly hurt." he replied while rubbing the back of his head from embarrassment. He did not notice the disturbed look Sakura was giving him. She had a feeling the jagged cliff was the ideal spot for Akamaru to do his usual business.

"Anyway, where did you learn to hit like that? Man it reminded me of that punch I took when I first met Tsunade baa-chan", the blonde ninja grimaced at one of his least fondest memories.

"Bingo! It's a long story Naruto… I'll tell you all about it later okay?"

"Hey how about you tell me everything that's been going on in Konohagakure since I was gone. I'm starving so let's go to Ichiraku Ramen Bar and talk there. My treat", he asked her and his stomach grumbled in anticipation.

"I can't Naruto! I have an urgent mission in the Sand Village and I don't have much time." Sakura was ready to bid farewell to her team mate but he interrupted her.

"Alright then, at least take these for your trip." He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a couple Ichiraku special instant ramen packages. Sakura took them from him smiling gratefully.

"Hey Sakura-chan, don't worry about Sasuke… I'll find that Orochi- bastard and beat the shit outta' him for taking our team-mate away from us."

Naruto immediately stopped talking when he saw Sakura's eyes glisten. "Uhh… I'll get Sasuke back here safe and sound. Even if it means I gotta' break a limb or two. At least this time he won't be able to go anywhere", he joked.

Sakura smiled at her friend's attempt to cheer her up and wiped the formed tears from her eyes. "Don't worry about it either. I trust you Naruto… take care then, I'll see you in a week or so."

They quickly exchanged their goodbyes and Sakura was well on her way on the path which will lead her to Sunagakure. The kunoichi kept a fast pace on the ground as well on the trees. She had to make up for lost time and was willing to quicken her pace as well as give up some of her breaks along the way. Before she knew it, the sun began to wane and it was replaced by darkened clouds.

Night had fallen and it was not safe to travel alone without any companions. Sakura thought she could use a few hours to rest a bit before continuing her journey. Without venturing too far, Sakura managed to gather a few pieces of wood to start a small campfire. She then collected water inside a portable pot from a nearby river and began to cook a package of instant ramen. While the noodles cooked, Sakura used that time to set up her sleeping bag close to the fire. When dinner was ready, she ate it hungrily while savouring the taste that only Ichiraku Ramen Bar can produce.

Soon afterwards, Sakura decided it was time to call it a night. She made a move towards her sleeping bag but stopped in her tracks when her ears picked up twigs being snapped in half. She quickly turned around and saw three dark figures moving towards her. Leaves rustled against their long cloaks and Sakura could only managed to make out what seemed to be a head protector on each of their heads. _'Ninjas' _she silently thought and wished she could see their symbols which would help her distinguish them from allies or enemies. Before she could blink her eyes, one of them grabbed her wrist and held it tightly. His metal symbol on his forehead gleamed in her eyes and it was then she noticed a clean slash though it. _A Missing-Nin…_

**An update after nearly four months? I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter… I'm sure some of you are disappointed for not having any of the Akatsuki members introduced yet… but seriously, wouldn't it be weird for them to appear early in the morning, especially in a village which is heavily guarded? Yeah anyway, can you guess who the three mysterious figures are? Is it very obvious… or do you want it to be obvious.. :D Leave me comments on who you guys think they might be.**

_I want to thank those who have reviewed so far:_

**JiNi, jess, peeeach, Soankast, Kattunge-chan, Icecream Skittles Addict, AkatsukiDreamer, Fujiwara Yuriko, tsuchikage, HyuugaAngels, Rain, crette, Anna12382, Annaka Uchinni, hakusho14, xxxsakuraxxx, etheralspirit17, Silent Kunoichi aka. Fiona**

_Now to answer some questions:_

**Cloudwatchers: **Well I've written Itachi/Deidara/Sasori with Sakura in the short summary… but I honestly don't know which couple it's going to be at the end… don't worry, Sakura won't end up with all three. But I think I can honestly say for, Itachi won't be the one in the end… which leaves us with two bachelors left to choose from :D

**Aurora Marija: **Thanks for your review… and I totally agree with everything you say. It can be very hectic to update almost every week especially when University is fast approaching. Anyway to answer your question. Yes this is before the whole 'Rescue Gaara' arc in the manga. I'm pretending it didn't happen so that my story can flow. Sakura is fifteen years old and hasn't met nor fought with Sasori yet. I'm sorry if it's not clear but this is definitely right after the time skip. I hope you read enjoyed this chapter and I'll upload the next one ASAP.

**SweetAssaasin: **Awww.. I'm sorry to have burst your bubbles… but nope it wasn't Sakura. Though it would have been funny to have introduced Gaara walking daintily on the sands. Wouldn't that be a pretty sight? LoL I hope you stay tuned though for the next update : )

**rebel-girl: **hehe sorry to disappoint you, but Sakura will see them soon… LoL can you imagine Sasuke doing graffiti and then trying to jump into Sakura's window?

**furryhatlover2543: **Actually I don't know why I made her breath like that confuzzled I guess I wanted to make it seem more dramatic, like she was very surprised or something like that.

**circles in the streams: **Yeah it was kinda' weird for not having Sakura introduced yet… maybe they'll be acquainted in the next chapter? I'm not sure what's in store for Tokiku, but we'll see : )… hehe Konohamaru was a good guess but you're right again, anything is possible. Try to guess who might be the three dark figures :D I was using MS Word for a while but I can't believe it expired right before I was going to write this chapter '… thanks again for your review!

**JudgeGooby: **you are soo nice!!! I was wondering what kinda' impression my version of Deidara and Sasori left on the readers… hehe but I want them to be more evil though muahaha And of course I don't want you to die!!!

**Kakashisninjadogs: **awww that's pretty sweet of you :D If it was Sasuke, would he be doing the graffiti on Tsunade's face and then try to jump through Sakura's window while she's changing? Hmm… maybe the new and improved Sasuke would though

**Sakura Angel 4eva: **Yay we have a winner!! I think you were the only one to guess right that the mysterious person doing the graffiti was Naruto indeed :D I hope you try to guess the next one too…

**Itachi4eva: **you're such a sweetheart : ) But honestly, I've seen better writers and damn, they can write such great plots! I hope you aren't disappointed anymore though… I'll get the next chapter uploaded as soon as possible :D

_**So once again please REVIEW**_**… it does really inspire me to continue. I really don't mind constructive criticism… that will help me become a better writer. Though I don't plan on choosing a writing career sweat drops**


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